By Ms. Haiyu Li, Lawyer at Chofn IP
On 14 January 2022, the China National IP Administration (CNIPA) released the Rules for Expediting Trademark Examination, effective on the same day, to improve the trademark examination system and meet the market entities’ differentiated needs. The corresponding application form and guidelines were simultaneously released.
The expedition may apply to three scenarios: 1). The names or titles of China’s major national or provincial projects, scientific and technological infrastructure, sports games, exhibitions, etc. for which trademark protection is urgently needed; 2). Direct association with such public emergencies as big natural disasters, accidents, public health incidents, social security incidents; 3). Necessity for the high-quality economic growth and building strong IP country.
Moreover, the expedition requests shall also meet such strict conditions: 1). All the applicants' agreement; 2). Electronically filed applications; 3) Marks composed of words only; 4). Not a collective or certification mark; 5). Standard description of goods/services which are closely related to the applicable scenarios as listed in the preceding paragraph; and 6). Priority not claimed.
Because of the strict conditions and requirements, few applications are qualified for expedition. The door to expedition is open, but too narrowly.
